Best Fest

Fab food and fine design came together at the annual International Risotto Festival, held at the Houston Design Center and chaired by interior-design diva Lucinda Loya and her energy-exec hubby Javier. Nearly 700 patrons strolled in and out of the venue—vino-in-hand!—perusing items on offer in various showrooms, while chefs from some of the city’s top restaurants whipped up incredible dishes at stations outside. Chef Maurizio Ferrarese from the Four Seasons’ Quattro restaurant won the day’s competition with his Milanese risotto served with bone marrow in the hollowed-out bone. The Consul General of Italy, Fabrizio Nava, served as the honorary chair of the event, which marked its 10th anniversary during the festival. Proceeds benefited the Art Institute of Houston’s scholarship fund.